FNAF 1 was Unironically Pretty Cool

[@Jarvicast2]

I think the artstyle of FNAF 1 was easily the best. The fact that the animatronics barely moved was a huge plus, made it feel way more creepy and real

[@grunkleg.2934]

In modern FNAF, the animatronics are built like fucking weapons of war. There's a reason why Freddy getting deployed to Afghanistan became a meme, and it's because FNAF animatronics are the most efficient killing machines of all time

[@WOKEchair]

yoo wallnut plays fnaf

[@WOKEchair]

@@grunkleg.2934 fr

[@saltystick_99]

When you put it like that, it suddenly makes sense why everyone was so surprised by Foxy sprinting down the hall. No one was ready for that spontaneous movement and just assumed he worked like everyone else once he got out of Pirate's Cove.

[@JavaCake]

pvz wall-nut

[@hesmycat]

The idea of suddenly being forced to watch a nostalgia critic review is truly horrifying. Very effective jumpscare.

[@ZachStarAttack]

i love his review

[@Saltience]

@@ZachStarAttack world's scariest man

[@mrlaz9011]

I'd rather have a CBT session with mangle instead.

[@theSato]

Nostalgia Critic videos are (or at least were) great lmao

[@hesmycat]

@@theSato the first couple were iconic, that much is true, but he is probably the most outshined individual of all time in the movie reviewer.

[@betaAfro]

I love how in the first night of FNAF 3 Phone Dude canonically leaves you a 4 hour voicemail, like bro you're racking up the fuckin bill shut up

[@fr0stdr4ke95]

I would bet money that it is coming out of his paycheck anyway. And I doubt he cares.

[@coyotix]

I fully think that the guard would be losing less power if Phone Guy or Phone Dude would hang up in like an hour

[@raelogan]

RIP Phone Dude. He spent two nights blathering about fursuits and poor electrical wiring, and presumably got merced by a zombie mid-call

[@andrew_might_community_post]

@@raeloganI don’t think so, he never worked in the office and these were presumably voicemails (like the first game).

[@Heathenshalt]

(just ignore that)

[@timothylawrence8929]

FNAF 1 Golden Freddy is still such a goated easter egg, he’s actually fucking scary. He’s not much of a threat even if you do encounter him, but the fact that he appears in your office, in a game about keeping freaky little guys out of your office, is so jarring and breaks down literally every idea you had about your safety with the doors. And he has a bunch of weird unique little traits that stick out, like the giggle, the surreal jumpscare, the fact that his appearance triggers hallucinations, the fact that he crashes your game. It makes him feel completely bizarre and unexplainable and yet there’s enough that sticks out about him that screams “this fucker is important!!!” even though there are literally no hints as to what he is, it makes him stick inside your head. He literally conveys all of this in a ten second long easter egg with like two unique assets lmfao, he’s unironically my favorite part of the whole game

[@SeaHorseOfYoutube]

I agree, his jumpscare is a big display of smart game design, by the time people get to see it they'll probably be familiar with the formula established by the previous nights and then Golden Freddy just breaks the entire ruleset and leaves you with a powerful sense of vulnerability. It's a very uncanny feeling, Foxy's animated runcycle and Freddy's unpredictability work in a similar way.

[@aegisScale]

Oh and as if Golden Freddy didn't break enough rules already he can even jumpscare you outside of the intended gameplay loop if you put the AI levels to 1, 9, 8 and 7.

[@fauxtanuki]

love the way you described this btw

[@NotBamOrBing]

THREE unique assets: the poster that summons him, him in your office, and the jumpscare

[@caldercockatoo2234]

"a game about keeping freaky little guys out of your office" goes hard

[@JaxOf7]

A quote from Zero Punctuation has really stuck with me. "It’s a remarkable recreation of the kind of logic one encounters in a nightmare; paralyzed by this encroaching horror that only you seem to recognize as such but can’t escape from"

[@arkelon]

This is how life feels day-to-day ngl

[@derpybreads2212]

Something I liked about the Night 4 phone call is that Phone guy knows he's gonna get stuffed, so the entire call before he gets killed is him trying to get you to check the suits after your shift, all call he's saying "man I wonder whats in those suits you should like check them out and check inside maybe idk"

[@ADxTygon]

very much appreciate the fact this channel has morphed slowly from "big yellow talks about things in fighting games that are neat" to "big yellow talks about things big yellow personally finds interesting" you have just such a chill and enjoyable presentation style and cadence

[@BrightyLighty_]

big yellow is like irish jan misali and i'm HERE FOR IT!!!!

[@kalosianporygon]

@@BrightyLighty_ *irish

[@BrightyLighty_]

@@kalosianporygon Oh... thank god. I was scared I was supporting a british person for a second there.

[@reb3lvagabond238]

Came for the fighting games, stayed for the 15 minute discussions about the history of the teal lego brick

[@jacobnguyen8372]

I think a big part of Foxy’s jumpscare is the fact that it moves. From what I recall, if an animatronic moves, the camera statics out and they teleport to the next room. Their most animated moments are during their jumpscare where they jumble and shake while screaming. However, the moment you *see* Foxy in motion, the scare has already happened. The player panics and drops the camera to close the door, and they’re focusing on exactly the spot where Foxy comes out. The *dread* of being jumpscared is actually scarier than the actual jumpscare, and it’s that whole “human imagination is scariest” that make the Foxy scare super good imo

[@OccuredJakub12]

Hearing you describe the animatronics actions, I can't help but realize that FNAF 1 is basically Pacman. 4 ghosts with their own pathfinding, a labyrinth location, and an arcadey gameplay style where you die over and over until you get good and get past newer levels with higher difficulty, until you get a finish and can go for the high score.

[@themyofmy]

homestuck

[@sm3argleliker]

i think fnaf 1 is a lesson on how well subtlety, vagueness, and having a relatively grounded setting (save for implied/mostly unexplained supernatural shit) can work in your favor when it comes to horror

[@juanrodriguez9971]

You can see how in Fnaf 1 Scott decided something happened in the past and put it in somewhere so those paying attention can enjoy it because it makes sense within the game, but then everyone else just puts random weird shit somewhere so a youtuber can use it to relate it to, idk, WWII, so the creators can use it, make it cannon, and slightly elaborate on it on the sequel/comics/ads/twitter account while adding more worthless shit so the youtuber can do all the job for free.

[@MishKoz]

20:45 I'll never forget that series of tweets where the Hello Neighbor dev was like "We can't wait until MatPat sees THIS! 👀"

[@BigYellowSilly]

I very nearly included it in the vid but I legit just felt bad like they're already dead

[@megatennepster3833]

@@BigYellowSilly and yet they released a sequel. I wish for the removal of my trachea

[@UGMD]

Yea apparently that guy was a new PR employee and was fired over it

[@StarkMaximum]

@@BigYellowSilly It's really funny that you included the clip of Hello Neighbor with a caption that says "I haven't played this but it looks stupid". Big news! I watched a full breakdown of the series from start to finish and I'm excited to tell you it is _incredibly_ stupid!

[@keksidy]

@@StarkMaximum the saddest/funniest part is that it didn't start out stupid but became more stupid with each update

[@yankeefanbryson19]

The first installment of any franchise (in any entertainment medium) is often the most interesting to me. Those first installments that are made without a fanbase to please and without the expectation that a sequel is to be made, just an idea presented to whoever's willing to check it out. Sequels can bring necessary improvements and surpass the original, but they can also be weighed down by expectations from both fans and investors

[@idontcheckmynotifications]

I agree so hard, I think the experimentation in first entries often leads to more thought in what could work and it leads to more surprises. Sequels end up feeling like derivatives a lot of the time not only of the original but popular design trends, less complimentary to or experimenting with core odeas. Also first entries are usually the easiest to take as self-contained, which is satisfying and can make them feel pretty complete on their own

[@Aarongeddon]

i just wanna say i appreciate you didn't cram a jumpscare into this and even turned down the sound effects during the comparison. most youtubers wouldn't be able to resist that lol

[@BigYellowSilly]

I got the Doug Walker jumpscare in and that was enough for me

[@curlybrace4984]

@@BigYellowSilly White man jumpscare

[@memejohn86]

@@BigYellowSilly the scariest animatronic of all, doug walker

[@beangorl7005]

Hard agree, I get really bad anxiety and even watching letsplays I turn down the volume and tab out if I anticpate jumpscares bc I hate having that increased heartrate, but at the same time I find videos discussing the game really interesting. This video was very informative and fun while also being approachable by people who don't take the max volume jumpscares as a given

[@SeaHorseOfYoutube]

@@beangorl7005 Same, I love FNAF but I cant watch a video with a drink or cup nearby out of fear that the silly loud sound might make me spill all over the desk.

[@glacierwolf2155]

If you really think about it, the Animatonics in FNAF are like the ghosts from Pac-Man, with each having their own patterns that you need to figure out if you want to live to 6 AM.

[@BigYellowSilly]

Pac-Man Behind the Slaughter

[@shinygekkouga52]

This is the perfect analogy. FNAF 1 is arcadey in the best way possible, and this helps explain why.

[@glacierwolf2155]

@@BigYellowSilly You can't spell "slaughter" without "laughter."

[@nicholassgobero]

Something that Sagan Hawks says in his retrospective is that it's pretty close to a resource management game and it summarizes It pretty well

[@superkonijn988]

@@BigYellowSilly the waka waka of 1987

[@grunkleg.2934]

4:09 Funnily enough, Chica would later learn to teleport in Security Breach.

[@aegisScale]

Finally, true gender equality.

[@OswaldAurelia]

2021, the year of equal rights and equal fights

[@ender01o66]

​@@aegisScale xD

[@ryanprower4246]

quick unimportant correction, he wasn't dead for two nights, he was dead for at least 9 at that point Also FNaF2 was the only one with live calls. FNaF1 had him record his messages before he died. It's likely that he recorded them all in one night and that ate at his power, and that's why it was a "rough night". "I wanted to record a message for you" and "I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact" and all edit: *why did I think there was 9 days in a week how high was I*

[@BigYellowSilly]

Good point he's like actually decomposed so

[@DoodleWill]

If there is one thing I love about the early FNAF games, its the models. Scott is a super talented modeler and his work is super inspiring. The Desolate Room/Hope I still hold is one of the best examples of his work. His Robot Designs are top notch. I'm happy Coffee got a few cameos in the FNAF universe but would love another Desolate game.

[@aegisScale]

He does have his weaknesses (namely humans), but for the most part I think Scott's modeling talents have been carrying the series so far. Most of the animatronic designs from the first six games have proven iconic, which even if some are unlikable (I can see why people would dislike the Funtimes) still form a distinct aesthetic for the series.

[@shaynehughes6645]

Scotch Coffee

[@jmurray1110]

Especially given there’s over a hundred of these tickets and they are mostly really well designed

[@Myiic]

I remember being legitimately terrified when I first saw this game, now it's like any other scary thing nowadays.

[@keiyousu7454]

4:30 The calculation is 1+5x, where x is the number of times he's beaten on your door previously in the night. In the case where he knocks on your door for the third time, that's an 11% drain. At that point, you're just not using the camera enough and consequently suffered a total drain of 18% from Foxy alone.

[@BigYellowSilly]

Thanks for that, everywhere I looked said specifically 5% or 6% flat, so I guess it's really neither

[@syweb2]

@@BigYellowSilly Well, it's 5 flat if you count that five as adding to the previous amount, which it seems like you were doing.

[@aegisScale]

It really says a lot about FNAF lore that instead of getting a definitive, on-screen answer to the bite of '87, a massive lingering question since the first game (and while there is merit to not revealing it considering where the series went they should've imo), we got . . . -The Bite of '83 that's completely unrelated -Why the puppet exists -A pseudoscience explanation of what possesses the animatronics -The name of the serial killer (no not "Purple Guy" I mean like a name name) and some rando associate who becomes important late into the series -500ish books that all end up being canon kinda sorta maybe if the creatives want MatPat to do their work for them that day -Within those books the concept of fuck-you illusion disks that can do pretty much anything to someone's brain which may or may not be a thing in the games (If you think I'm crazy there are some aggravating details in Security Breach and Sister Location that suggest they're a thing) -a fucking box that never opened and only really served as a template for the last leg of the first part of the megastory -the Purple Guy but a computer virus(??????????????????????) -and the cherry on top, the possibility that every single game before like Help Wanted was entirely fiction the entire time, from the Goosebumps ripoff books, thanks to those fucking disks. Like if you're gonna go that far you could at least tell us RWQFSFASXC did the bite of '87 or some shit you've already turned the horror mystery about 5 robots in a pizzeria into a sci-fi thriller about some old fart in a rabbit suit always coming back through the power of angry soul juice brainwashing computer viruses and maybe brain-melting iPods if the writers feel spicy.

[@BigYellowSilly]

The bite of 83 is the funniest shit I can't lie

[@Alex-gl8li]

FNAF lore at this point has crossed the event horizon and has reach a new level of storytelling when thing can and will just happen.

[@gamesdocanaldothi3477]

@@BigYellowSilly its literaly family issues

[@imbion6965]

You didn’t even mention the time traveling ballpit powered by the souls of the damned.

[@aegisScale]

@@imbion6965 *_God dammit I knew I was forgetting something_* (well other than Fazgoo and Sea Bonnies)

[@HumanReverend]

The nostalgic critic jump scare got me lmao

[@BrightyLighty_]

FNAF really monetized horror-for-kids which is one of the saddest things to happen to indie horror. (Of course, Slender and Containment Breach had massive child audiences before FNAF, but FNAF monetized it and intentionalized it.) But the original was a proper horror game intended for mature audiences and it's still good. I agree with most of what you're saying. Good video!

[@plasty8665]

At least these original games were designed without merch immediately in mind imo, it’s insane how that huggy wuggy game or whatever has a merch button in the fucking main menu, and it gets big letters saying new merch whenever they make more. It’s genuinely insane.

[@BrightyLighty_]

@@plasty8665 Yes, what I was trying to say was that Slender / CB / FNAF 1 were horror games for mature audiences, like how the entire concept of horror is supposed to work. Where as Poppy Playtime (that's the one you're thinking of) is pretty clearly made just to get kids to buy merch (just like the original My Little Pony cartoons!)

[@ender01o66]

​@@BrightyLighty_ How is eating kids alive and ripping teenager's bodies apart limb-by-limb "monetized horror-for-kids"??? Not to mention that graphic scene where a kid gets slicked in half by a vent fan, his lower body falls down the vent shaft onto a furnace, and his upper body is slowly getting dragged into the fan blades, little-by little, until he's shredded into fleshy confetti... not to mention he's conscious the whole time during this... Yeah, uh, definitely not for kids.

[@jessiec8736]

@@ender01o66 Wait what game was this?? That's horrible

[@ender01o66]

@@jessiec8736 FNaF 👀

[@thisbox]

Well, time to rewatch the video 17000 times for the rare chance of finding Big Golden.

[@mimeco2]

I feel like the animatronics talking was more like they were only able to say prepackaged voice lines that they would use at like parties

[@BigYellowSilly]

If it was more like that I think I'd be down for it

[@scarab5648]

"Please deposit 5 coins" but its on every single animatronic...

[@DreamcastSoupYT]

Yeah I hate the bit where bro rags on sister location. That game is actually scary and has a legit secret boss fight and real character motives.

[@DMSwordsmaster]

Man, this just reminds me of when I was a part of the first wave of "FNAF Pioneers" learning about all of the weird secrets and whatnot in the game. I remember that magical day when we heard the full Animatronic scream that sounded like a kid (but was actually just ripped from a movie lol). Brings back nostalgia for a simpler time. Even if in hindsight I want to strangle my edgy angry teenage self with a garrote wire until his head snaps off.

[@Marchers46]

What movie?

[@DMSwordsmaster]

@@Marchers46 It's called Inseminoid. Big heads up, movie has very dark and very triggering subject matters. It's an old movie from 1981. Think Aliens but with less subtlety. And not as good.

[@Marchers46]

@@DMSwordsmaster Oh...

[@alejandropetit6573]

Dw we all want to strangle our edgy 14 year old selves

[@jaycap]

Wow you really were just spitting facts in this video. FNAF 1 did so much stuff that the later games either fumbled or straight up omitted like hallucinations, little auditory details, and subtle environmental storytelling. It really feels like more attention and detail was put into this game than the rest of the series combined. The game really hones into the uncanny valley feeling that we all felt as kids going to Chuck E Cheese's and seeing the animatronics. I feel like less is more when it comes to this series. I enjoyed FNAF much more when all it was about was 5 missing kids and an unnamed killer. At the end of the day FNAF 1 is up there as one of the best indie games of all time, even though the later games ruined the magic for me.

[@ender01o66]

FNaF 3 also has hallucinations, however they're much more subtle. Imo, the FNaC series is pretty fun too.

[@PixelAtionGuitar]

Seeing the direction fnaf took is so weird to me Its such a massive departure from the game that actually terrified me so much as child that it led to direct trauma that has defined my teenage years

[@Pacca64]

It's interesting that you can note how FNaF2 feels rushed; I've never seen anyone say that before, but it makes perfect sense; it quite objectively WAS rushed, the fact it released mere months after FNaF1 blew everyone away, the momentum from how fast the series progressed in those early days probably helped it become what it is. Given how short it's development was, and how much is crammed into it, it's shocking FNaF2 is even playable, let alone as polished as it is.

[@LA-be8fu]

cute buizel

[@Pacca64]

@@LA-be8fu :3

[@Kevaca]

FNaF2 was originally intended to release in 2015 (to my knowledge)

[@funkymachine]

Fnaf 1 is pretty heat in isolation as a cool indie game. The idea of being stuck in a room and defending yourself is cool. The story of shit like Scott cawthon being told his character models "look like creepy robots" and taking that is really magic. Also foxy can be stilled by using the camera at all, not looking at pirate cove.

[@cdogthehedgehog6923]

False

[@Scepers]

@@cdogthehedgehog6923 true. The act of having cams active gives him a random timer from active 1.875-5ish (forget the second number) where all of his movement actions will fail. I have beaten 4/20 and know what I’m talking about. This is why 4b stalling Freddy works. You can still almost infinitely stall foxy just by flipping, waiting a couple seconds in the office and using it to check lights, and repeating with the cams set to 4b the entire time, until you need to check foxy’s state to see if he’s left, which is the only good reason to have your cam on pirate cove in 20 mode.

[@ender01o66]

​@@Scepers ikr

[@jakuth99]

You really have the vibe of a FNAF fan and I mean it in the nicest way possible

[@kingofcrap4414]

Big Yellow kinda seems like someone who would use Tumblr and I mean that in a good way.

[@LucyTheLamia]

As someone who likes FNAF 3 a lot I can definitely understand the camera complaint. I agree FNAF 1 not having to live up to anything before helped substantially in making it something unique and I enjoyed you pointing out all the little things! Great vid!

[@SESauvie]

FNAF is so fascinating to me as a series because every time I've seen somebody discuss it there are such different things they want to point out first. Different people prefer different games for the same reason others are down on them, etc. I remember Bafael going on for quite some time about various little atmospheric details that could easily be missed upping the tension. I would love to hear more about this or any other series you feel interested in enough to create a video for.

[@noamtepper456]

I love how FNAF 1 is genuinely creepy, not just spooky, but CREEPY! It’s a huge thing missing from the later ones

[@momunch8531]

i really wish they wouldve made the animimatronics "talk" by splicing together a bunch of bits of different vocals from old ass songs implying that the spirit or whatever was using the actual voicebox of the robot to communicate

[@BigYellowSilly]

This is 100% how I would've liked to see it done, maybe not even using them to communicate but having them go off at random intervals and having it cut out

[@walugusgrudenburg3068]

I feel like the "Get ready for a surprise!" and to a lesser extent "Bon-Bon, go get 'em!" voicelines of Funtime Freddy do this pretty well, but the rest of the lines and every other animatronic that speaks are pretty egregiously Not The Voicebox.

[@knuckl6972]

Like bumblebee in the transformers movies

[@bluekirby8194]

Admittedly, I was on the younger side when FNAF 1 came out and was massively popular, and I remember having actual nightmares after playing it and being genuinely scared. But it wasn't because of the jumpscares, it was because of the visuals, as well as the sounds. I played it on an old iPad. I remember realizing that you can see the details of the eyes popping out of the suit. I remember not knowing what the fuck to do and frantically tapping around. I remember accidentally getting a Golden Freddy jumpscare and it just wouldn't. go. away. The nothingness stared at me as all that accompanied was silence. Silence and me trying to get that nothingness off of that screen. And then I found out about the lore of the first game, and it fucking fascinated and terrified younger me. Because of the vagueness of it all. Because it sounds like something that is just barely out of the grasp of reality (at least to my younger, more naïve self). I remember people making fun of me and laughed for being scared of the first game, so I always just lied it away and said some bullshit like I was really tired when I played it. Because everyone assumed I got scared by the jumpscares, when the jumpscares (minus Golden Freddy's) were the least scary part. Perhaps due to lingering feelings that I can't do anything about, I'm still unnerved quite a bit by the first game. I am an adult now, but I think I will always have a soft spot for the first game, and the unease it still makes me feel to this day. -also thanks for reminding me i still need to buy xenoblade x-

[@lucymcelhone4332]

Ah man, my two favourite things on KZbin. BigYellow talking about completely arbitrary topics for 30 minutes. And 30 minute long mindless Fnaf discussions

[@KahilaTheArtSlime]

Thank you for not having any actual jumpscare in this video I think that its a shame that FNaF went the Game Theory way, and I think you put my thoughts into words nicely, especially with me having a friend who's just now getting into them due to curiosity and dragging me along with them

[@DMSwordsmaster]

what are you talking about 3:46 is terrifying

[@CoralReaper707]

If it makes you feel better, someone out there is making a remake of the first Five Nights at Freddy's! As a side note, I've always had a soft spot for sister location, despite it's attempts at humor that are often questionable. It really shook up the pace with each night being unique, and having all sorts of features being groundbreaking by FNAF standards for the time. That being said, I wouldn't mind you sharing your opinions with at least some of the other games.

[@goob8945]

What’s the name of the remake?

[@CoralReaper707]

@@goob8945 FNAF Plus

[@Destinum]

I've never actually played a FNAF game myself, but Sister Location was the first one I saw a full playthrough off, which gave me a bit of a soft spot for Baby; her voice acting is just the perfect amount of unsettling.

[@mandalorianhunter1]

I agree Sister Location was a great change in the right direction but sadly it didn't stay that way.

[@jpeg6185]

sister location has a great concept with their jumpscares i love the face plates

[@k_klaw2097]

unrelated to the bear but my jaw literally dropped seeing you all dolled up like that, you are absolutely killing (even slaying, mayhaps) with that look

[@ave-taka]

honestly as someone who stopped following this series after fnaf 4 came out (i think that's quite common) and only got back to take a peek like a year or two ago and got kind of a "what in the absolute hell are they doing" reaction from it - and still do today with things like, most of security breach - i would be really interested to see more vids on the series, esp to know your thoughts on the other games you like and just as importantly, sister location really good vid overall i think. never miss

[@onlinestonedogii]

I’ve been saying this shit for years! The vibe of FNAF 1 is so compelling. It’s dream-like and surreal in a way that the later games never really did capture.

[@angryboi595]

I’ve always liked the realism of Fnaf 1. It doesn’t have loads of animatronic but they switch up their things a lot, and they look realistic with the game and the graphics overall looking realistic, and not in a goofy Cybperpunk way, but they look like what rundown animatronics of a old pizzeria would look like, they give that creepy vibe and the ambience just being some monitor sounds and barely any real sound also helps make you feel like you’re in it. With the pizzeria itself looking dark and grounded, with the animatronic looking like they’re in the pizzeria and actually haunting it. Just the whole atmosphere helps by the lack of but still creepy but realistic creepy sound design, like you will barely hear anything aside from monitors going off, Chica messing in the kitchen, Freddy laughing, Bonnie moving with his loud footsteps and Foxy laughing, it makes it all feel real in ambient and atmosphere term. Compare this to Fnaf 5 where they talk like Scooby Doo characters and hit the griddy every fucking second with the animatronics not even looking like they’re in the room they’re in

[@june9914]

The amount of misinfo that went around about how animatronics work (as in game mechanics) despite their relatively simple d20 programming is something I admire

[@linksora7120]

I’m so glad you mentioned Freddy so much in this because while everyone else freaks out over bonnie and foxy in fnaf 1, I always saw Freddy as by FAR the scariest. Like this bear will rip you apart and you cannot stop him. You can slow him down but you CANNOT COMPLETELY STOP HIM

[@maybemadelyn]

lookin more yassified every day you go girl

[@Myiic]

U go gurl 👑

[@Steeldragon493]

Absolute goals

[@aegisScale]

King _and_ Queen shit.

[@user-gr9kh2jv2f]

Hearing that you were 14 when fnaf 1 came out made me panic but then I realized the game is nearly a decade old and I panicked more anyway good video

[@mariomcp]

I would say that the first FNAF was very original, and even if I was not the biggest fan of it personally, I really respected a game doing something I had never seen before. Unfortunately, with the sheer explosion of popularity, I feel like the series had to keep getting new entries rushed out of varying quality. Still though, pretty crazy to see this game go on to impact the rest of the industry, and even movies, considering we got multiple (really, really, really shitty) movies basically ripping off Five Nights at Freddy's.

[@BigYellowSilly]

That's a very good point like the first game is just a really good idea as a whole

[@aegisScale]

I mean FNAF 1's development story was really cool, Scott basically took criticisms of his older games in stride and turned what were his weaknesses (uncanny character models that looked like Chuck-E-Cheese characters) into the basis for a horror game distinct from the free-moving horror games of the early 2010s. He wanted to make a good game with the tools and skills he had, and he certainly did.

[@notNajimi]

It’s honestly wild the quality was pretty consistent for those first few. I remember being surprised they were coming out so fast

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

I'm not a FNaF fan (though I certainly don't hate the series or hold any animosity), but I've always found the first game as... well, the coolest of them. Like, it's just such a fascinating idea. Just a guy in a room, you look left and right a little bit, have to wait agonizingly hoping your short-term decisions don't ruin you later, aaaand... that's about it. Just a simple idea done with a seemingly low-budget but EXQUISITE execution. I'm glad you praised the visual aesthetics- they're one of the biggest things that I think was lost from the series, at least as an outsider looking in. The building looks lived in and grungy, but not excessively so. It FEELS real in how it's a little run-down, but I could totally still see it being visited by twelve-year olds celebrating their birthday. The place isn't so decrepit that it should have been torn down ages ago like in some future games, or so futuristic that you question how it even exists. It's just a pizzeria with a coat of clutter and smidge of grime. It's perfectly believable.

[@andyblanton6570]

If the animatronics spoke, but only in pre-recorded phrases that they would have for purposes during the day, maybe distorted a bit, I think it would be alright.

[@cxssetteman182]

During the interview with Dawko, Scott Cawthon did state that Fnaf 1 was just the right mixture of all the right things, at the right time. "Lightning in a bottle" as he stated. I think it's because that game was the closest to Scott, it held the most meaning. It was supposed to be his last game at the time, so he really wound up his creative key and give it his all. Not to mention, I think the big part of the Fnaf visual style was the Analogue horror aesthetic. It had been done before, but has mostly been limited to Films. The first game that I think truly embraced it was Manhunt (2003). But that is a violent game, and does not have as much of a mass appeal. Even so, that game came out 11 years before Fnaf 1 did. Fnaf 1 suffers from something most media franchises do. It began everything, but it could still have been a self contained story. And technically, that's what it is. You don't really need to know the Culprit of the MCI, or if the Animatronics are Haunted or not. You could just believe it to be a straightforward horror game, sprinkled with some Lore and story to give it more dimension. Now I don't blame Scott, he had a vision (which may have changed along the way because of the community), but it's his Franchise after all. I can feel how he felt about the first game. He didn't have to include Phone Guy, he didn't have to make him such an enigmatic and interesting Characters. He didn't have to animate the "It's Me" hallucinations. But he did, because he knew it would enrich the experience. Now, to Fnaf 2. I think it definitely has its shortcomings. But at the same time, it did have enough to prolong the franchise. Not to mention, the aesthetic being different and sort of "artificially realistic" worked imo. The characters don't look as cohesive (especially thru cameras). They look Artificially separated from the background. Ig it was just time constraints and some laziness on Scott's part. Even tho Fnaf 2 has better replayability. Fnaf 1 was just a cool experience that will stand the test of time.

[@MrNapkino]

Your variety videos are phenomenal. Don't think I've ever seen another youtuber cover such a variety of unrelated topics and still peak my interest with most of what you choose. Keep up the good work!

[@cellP8]

foxy sprinting to kill you and the scream turning into a kids agony are the things that terrified me the most in FNAF1, it was truly a masterpiece of a game, as for the rest...

[@nekomimi2600]

11:39 regarding that - I always thought that even though it’s clearly a horror game, the game does try to convince first time players that the scuffed up animatronics can’t hurt the player. Phone guy gives a corporate response like free roaming mode to what essentially is possessed machines. From his understanding, that’s why the animatronics act the way they do. He makes it sound like free roaming is that they’re just going to goof around in the building, running in circles or something. However, when checking the cameras tells a different story. That’s why I love it when the animatronics stare at the camera, like they know you’re there and that they won’t be functioning like how they do during the daytime but out to get the player.

[@curlybrace4984]

23:28 Fun fact, I'm the person that coined the name 'phone dude'. It was on a reddit post. For years I wouldn't stop getting PMs about how I'm apparently famous or something. I was like "yeah, sure, I guess' and it got super awkward.

[@Rodolphin]

I think the main reason why fnaf 1 does the sound designs, character design, animation, and atmosphere the best is because fnaf 1 was originally Scott’s last game before quitting as a game developer so he probably went all out and did not expect his last game to get so much traction.

[@clash_king1025]

Bonnie in FNAF 1 still one of the most terrifying jumpscares in FNAF history And arguably horror in general

[@onlookerofthings6029]

FNAF 1's polish is amazing. Roxy's jumpscare isn't scary but you do see the back of him reflected on the monitors when he pops in. It's tiny and it took me years to notice it

[@liketrainslol420funni]

Roxy's?

[@haze7879]

23:10 Sloppy Toppy of '84 made me laugh uncontrollably.

[@azurneon]

I have a soft spot for FNaF 2. It was the first FNaF game I played thanks to my older cousin and I had tons of fun. I wasn't able to complete any night by myself at the time, but I kept playing and I learned more about the story, and I was really intrigued overall

[@aegisScale]

Some of my fondest memories of the series were wandering around my 6th-grade classroom as my friends played FNAFs 1-3 during indoor breaks near the end of the year, occasionally checking back with the rest of my classmates before the spooky stuff and the threat of a jumpscare got my ass up and moving again. They were just so approachable and fascinating back then.

[@KStarPR]

There's something to be said about FNAF when it can still keep me deeply invested and interested despite vast and constantly growing disappointment ever since the third game.

[@Synark25]

I remember a few years back, I found this little weird spanish series called "FNAFHS" about the Fnaf characters turned into highschoolers. It was weird, goofy, and strange, but me and my mother enjoyed watching it nontheless. And it was pretty fun! It's what initially got me into Fnaf, and to this day Bonnie is still my favorite character thanks to the series. It was only a few weeks ago though, that I actually decided to show my mother a song by The Living Tombstone on Fnaf, yk, that one with the goofy graphics and showed a bit of lore- And I swear the look on her face when she actually figured out that the animatronics had dead kids inside of them was just wonderful. Kinda sad to think that nowadays nobody really has that except for big theorists when they find out the lore of something.

[@ginger_ale_man7]

10:10 the misspelling aesthetic into slayer theme true combo goes crazy

[@BigYellowSilly]

ultimate illiteracy

[@bagelpenguin6499]

Man, I remember this was all we would talk about in 4-5th grade. Back then I was actually like, seriously discussing the games lore and stuff with my friends, which game was the scariest and all that. But now it's just kinda entertaining to see matpat and others try to figure this bullshit out. It's fun to see someone else who grew up with these games talk about what it was like.

[@dr.archaeopteryx5512]

1:15 I utterly love it whenever people just wave back at Willy during this scene

[@blepomorph419]

Something I didn't like about the books was that the whole Remanent thing kind of felt unneeded. The possession of animatronics by dead kids was premise enough. Establishing the means of said premise made it less uncanny to me.

[@TheDonaldduck911]

a fnaf 4 follow up video would be amazing. I never played these games, nor do i intend to, so listening to your experiences as to why they stand out is very interesting for people like me

[@superkonijn988]

One of my favorite things in fnaf 1 is the variarity in the cameras that can catch you off guard and i think that element is really good because it can make you question for a moment what you know and adds uncertainty.

[@whataboutme8206]

This is my favorite channel just cause you look at so much stuff and bring such a fun energy to each video

[@samanthashelly9947]

I can't believe you gave me a doug jumpscare during no nostalgia critic february

[@whataboutme8206]

Sexism at its finest preventing women from teleporting where they want.

[@publickip]

i never got caught up in the whole FNAF craze, but this video was super neat

[@whipcreamrabbit]

on the topic of the animatronics talking.. I kind of agree. I wish it was sorta just Circus Baby cos it made her stand out as weird and sentient but the rest was just like... mm.. okay.. I like Chica's lines in Security Breach cos they sound more like pre-recorded messages and then later its just gargled static cos she lost her beak that was cool but when the animatronics are like able to hold a conversation it kind of loses the magic for me

[@FiremanSamBoy2008]

I completely agree with this, I started liking FNAF when I was 7 in 2015 and now I'm 14 and I'm turning 15 in July. I remember I drew a very crappy picture of BB when I was in year 7 in primary school (I live in the UK) in September 2015 and one of the teachers told me off, my mum and dad didn't start letting me play the FNAF games until I was 10 in 2018 when I was in year 6 at primary school, I brought FNAF AR in 2019 when I was 11 in year 7 at secondary school/high school I'm now in year 10 and in September I will be in year 11 which will be my last year at high school and then I go up to collage in September 2024. I honestly miss 2014 - 2019, those were the golden age for the internet (in my opinion).

[@plasty8665]

I never really got into it myself, but grew up surrounded by it in the same timeframe as you lol. It really is just insane how it’s spawned a new wave of “children’s horror” stuff that kids are growing up with as we did with fnaf, but it’s just completely separated from horror really. Like these games are now designed with merch in mind to such a degree they put old action cartoons designed to sell action figures to shame.

[@FiremanSamBoy2008]

@@plasty8665 Cool.

[@obnoxas]

Counterpoint on your statements about the characters talking being dumb: when done right, it can be really cool and creepy to hear a pre-programmed voiceline used in a context that perverts the joy it's supposed to bring. A very good example of this, in my opinion, is Funtime Freddy's lines in Sister Location. The pretty much are all things that a robot built for entertainment would say at a party, but they're used out of that context to be threatening. Great video though, I really enjoy your content!

[@theraymunator]

This video perfectly explains why FNAF 1 is my favorite game in the series. It manages to perfectly capture that primal fear that you get as a kid when you go to Chuck E. Cheese and seeing that mechanized abomination called Charles Entertainment Cheese on the stage. Scott caught lightning in a bottle and sometimes it's like the feel of that first game just hasn't been or can't be replicated. I think that maybe he or the new devs realized this and they decided to focus on the lore as a result, but, yeah, I also don't like that the series went in that direction. I really like FNAF 6 but I kinda stopped caring after FNAF 4 because I think the series kinda jumped the shark with SL, or rather, it just transformed into another thing that tied in with the classic games.

[@QuandariusHuzz-bq1jn]

"A powerful rat named Charles Entertainment Cheese"

[@goofygoober4205]

Nice video, one minor flaw FNAF 1 has is it’s difficultly. Not in the sense that “you only have to be good in order to finish everything.” But in the sense that sometimes it’s up to random chance like Foxy banging on your doors whenever you take you eyes off the camera because Bonnie is at your door. Now you have 8% battery taken away from you and now it’s only 20% at 3am on night 5. It can get frustrating at times and it’s not cut and dry when it comes to your experience gameplay wise. You made a good point on the art style. Also I like your outfit you wore it looks cute

[@BigYellowSilly]

I personally kinda like the randomness but there are times where you just inevitably lose through very little fault of your own and that can be frustrating, glad you enjoyed though!

[@sonic8005]

As far as secret characters go, Golden Freddy in the first game is essentially the top tier of how it's done for FNAF as a franchise. Honestly one of the most haunting moments and yet the character had a chance of being entirely unnoticed by the majority of players and even could've been written off as a hoax by... everybody who never experienced him or looked through the files. Even Scott straight up lied about the existence of Golden Freddy but, he's there, he crashes the game instead of a standard game over... and he's even got a place in story as well as opens the door for future lore (like the existence of more Freddy suits in general)

[@pyrrhusofepirus8491]

I unironically really like FNAFs story, I *definitely* feel it got quite lore heavy later on, because Scott felt like he needed to really cater to the lore crowd. FNAF 4’s designs are so over the top I love them, and the beginning menu with the house in the background made me think of these horrible hell-beasts walking up to this house. Which Joy Of Creation managed to capture with it’s alpha beta whatever before they completely shat on that sick idea, and just limited it to you bumbling around rooms.

[@waifu_png_pl6854]

i didnt realise it but i also hate the animatronics talking full, coherent sentences. a word here or there, or a pre recorded phrase are fun and could be used to great effect but then we get to baby talking about her pizzeria or later on roxy talking into a mirror, what the hell is this

[@willgembitsky]

It's always a treat when a Big Yellow pops up.

[@Glory2Snowstar]

Channel continues to tackle the absolutely based-est of subjects. FNAF 1 was ingenious from multiple angels, Scott harnessing his weaknesses into STRENGTHS that blossomed into a flourishing community of spooky haunted robot enjoyers is a legendary origin story for any piece of media. The red of FNAF 1 has such a nice nostalgic grunge and aggression to it, and the claustrophobia was oddly… comfy. But in an unnerving way. FNAF 2’s gotta be my favorite solely due to the legendary Yes icon Mangle + the death mini games but I also gotta hand things to FNAF 3 and 6 for their focus on some slick character moments. That one Shadow Bonnie mini game music will always stick with me, as will [CONNECTION TERMINATED].

[@hauntedsunsets]

I honestly love the state of FNAF 1 being built on so many little things. it gives it a lot of subtle depth to explore rather than wearing the complexity on its sleeve. you're really just left to wonder

[@ollyyyyyyyyy1352]

looking back at the insanity about the bite of 87 after playing more of scott's early work is so funny because it's so clearly a joke line. scott finds it really funny to just offhandedly refer to a seemingly important event once and never again (like the war of 19-beaverdy-3 in chipper and sons) and the bite of 87 is just another gag like that. it's wild how much lore speculation it caused

[@claye_l463]

You will never see the pearly gates - Foxyfan41

[@chipklip2]

there IS another reason to look at the cameras in fnaf 2 but you'll never have to use it, if you shine your flashlight on an animatronic on the camera they'll pause for a bit this normally wouldn't be interesting, however the puppet also has a path like the other animatronics.. so if you figure out where the puppet is, you could probably save some extra time edit: the paper plate dude also has AI so if you really fucking hate the balloon boy paper pal, you can probably stall him from getting to your office then again, that easter egg also has really weird conditions to happen that are so obscure I don't remember so yeah fnaf's coding can be a little weird

[@StarChargerStudios]

You mentioned at some point how the fnaf 2 renders look like pngs pasted in, well some of them actually are! Namely certain cameras with mangle and the puppet.

[@Cuckoo4GokuPuffs]

So just gonna preface that i’m a genuine fnaf fan. I’m in it mainly for the lore and yeah I’m just a GT fanboy yadda yadda. I haven’t really minded the direction the series has gone in and am just always excited to experience whatever the franchise puts out. That being said I get that a lot of people have their issues with the series and that’s fine. However, it’s always annoying just seeing video after video of rants and raves about how much they dislike it. And it’s annoying that people will feel like embarrassed to say they are a fnaf fan nowadays. So I love the direction you took this video where you basically said “hey yeah i’m not a huge fan of the new stuff, but i’m happy for those who are. Now here’s some stuff I really enjoy about it.” Such a perfect way to present a topic like this. Thank you Big Yellow. Love your content. Keep up the good work. 👍🏻

[@juanokug4]

gotta say i love how much you hop between topics from pokemon comp, to lego bricks _specifically_ and then melee and street fighter and now fnaf it's great don't stop

[@rana-hb3yt]

18:26 "aha! i got you! buy my funkopop!" LMAOOO

[@madokalover]

My girlfriend got me into FNAF recently with Security Breach and I've been watching all the games up to now and honestly, FNAF 1 was a hit for a reason. Everything is so well made, I especially like the characters. Each enemy has its own personality despite having no backstory, it reminds me of Pac Man with the different ghost AIs. As for everything else, you said it all in the video! I'd say it's a historic game!

[@bewearstar9462]

30:07 yes RWQFSFASXC has a 1 of out a million chance of showing up in your office

[@JaxontheOkay]

my favorite part of fnaf 1 is for sure the aesthetic. it just feels uncomfortably and realistically nasty. feels like an actual shitty pizza place you coulda gone to as a kid. the felt looking models are also way better for that than the later plastic ones. they look like a plush toy left in the dumpster for months, i can SMELL them.

[@Gold_Gamer_100]

I always thought 1, 2 and 3 were the best due to how "straightfoward" it all was. Just a simpler time I suppose

[@Frosted_Moontips]

I can strongly relate to this, the OG FNAF had the perfect tone and atmosphere, so seeing the newer stuff be so cookie cutter and bland leaves a bitter taste in my mouth oof

[@miscellaneouscam953]

FNAF1 is such a great game. I was terrified of animatronics as a kid, so the game was the scariest thing imaginable for me when it came out. I feel like no other game in the series capitalized on that fear like the first game did. If you want something with that vibe id check out Battington's fnaf vhs remake!

[@KanaIzumiya]

I only played the first game and I agree. The first game has something that made younger me legitimately scared. It was one of the few things I couldn't watch directly, I was always going down to the comment section to not look at the game lmao

[@theghostcreator776]

I like how the game that canonically occurs 30 fucking years after the last game has so much worse cameras, its like the guys who made the attraction overcompensated to hell and back

[@Rorotikko]

I’ve failed No Nostalgia Critic March :(

[@megamanzero5when895]

FNAF 3 vs FNAF 4 is an interesting comparison. 4's over the top night-terror aesthetic could easily come across as edgy in a bad way, but it feels more genuine than 3's "I'm not like other FNAF games" design and feel. Great video and I definitely wouldn't mind a follow up if you wanted to do it!

[@aidanboyle7374]

God damnit Yellow, this video popped up in my recommended and made me fail No Nostalgia Critic November

[@BigYellowSilly]

Apologies I know that's a very difficult time for most of us